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Officers Demand Action Following Racial Discrimination

(Published Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015)

The town of Brookline, Massachusetts, has reached a settlement with a former police officer who complained of racial discrimination in the department.

In 2015, Brookline Police officers Prentice Pilot and Estifanos Zerai-Misgun accused fellow officers of using racial slurs and making them feel unsafe at work. Wednesday, Brookline Select Board Chair Neil Wishinsky said the town had reached a $150,000 settlement with Pilot.

"The settlement of this case comes at the end of a long and difficult journey taken by all parties," Wishinksy said in a statement. "Mr. Pilot was a valued member of the town's police department, and we wish him well."

Pilot and Zerai-Misgun said in 2015 that they had been targeted by other officers. At the time, they said they would stay home until more was done to fix the problem. The Boston Globe reported in 2017 that both officers had been fired for not returning to work after their complaints.

"As we move forward, we are confident that the Brookline Police Department will unfailingly continue to serve the Brookline community with the highest degree of professionalism and superior service under the leadership of newly appointed Chief Andrew Lipson," Wishinksy said.